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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · nail · fan · band · bear · bulb · fall · tube

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. band — a ring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com